Portable air conditioner and cleaner



1957 c. WILLIAMSON 2,776,553

PORTABLE AIR CONDITIONER AND CLEANER Filed May 27,, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TOR. I76. 2 67/AZL W/ZZ/AMSOA/ Jan. 8, 1957 c. WILLIAMSON PORTABLE AIR CONDITIONER AND CLEANER 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 27, 1955 INVENTOR. 67M 24 /E W/LL/AMJO/V United Statas P tfi of PORTABLE AIR CONDITIONER AND CLEANER A Charlie Williamson, Joliet, Ill.

Application May 27, 1955, Serial No. 511,690

2 Claims. (Cl. 62-429) This invention relates to air conditioning devices, and more'particularly to a portable air conditioning device adapted to either heat or cool the air, to humidify the air, and to inject deodorant into the air in a room.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved air conditioning device which is simple in construction, which may be readily transported to any room where its use is required, and which is suitable either for use as an air cooler or as a heater, as well as for other uses, such as for humidification of the air or for introducing deodorant into the air in a room.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved air conditioning device of a portable type, said device being inexpensive to manufacture, being rugged in construction, being relatively light in weight, and being attractive in appearance.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will 2,776,553 Patented Jan. 8, 1957 z the rear wall of the main housing, and disposed in the space below the partition member 19 is a sump reservoir 21 containing a quantity. of water 22 which may be employed for humidifying the air, as will be presently explained.

Designated generally at 23 is a refrigeration unit which is mounted in the rear portion of the housing, for example, which is supported on the rear portion of the horizontal partition member 19, the refrigeration unit 23 comprising a compressor 24 which is driven by an electric motor 25, a condenser 26, and an evaporator unit 27,

the evaporator unit 27 being located below the partition 19 and .extending horizontally over a substantial area or the sump reservoir 21, as shown in Figure 4. The com pressor, condenser and evaporator unit are connected in a conventional refrigeration circuit in a manner well known in the art, the arrangement providing cooling of air passing through the sump reservoir 21.

Designated at 29 is a blower fan which is mounted in a suitable manner on a shaft 30, the fan 29 being located in the rear portion of the housing element 16, and the shaft being coupled, as by a belt 31 to the electric motor 25, whereby the fan 29 is driven by the motor and produces air circulation which forces air outwardly from housing 16 through the outlet opening 14 of the main housing 12.

become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an improved portable air conditioning device constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken on theline 3-3 of Figure 2. Figure 4 is a transverse vertical cross sectional view taken through the device on the line 4-4 of Figure l. Figure 5 is a horizontal cross sectional detail view taken on the line 5-5' of Figure 4. y

Figure 6 is a fragmentary horizontal cross sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 4.

Figure'l is a fragmentary enlarged cross sectional view taken on the line 7--7 of Figure 3.

Figure 8 is an enlarged cross sectional detail view taken on '-the-1ine 8-8 of Figure 3,.

; Figure 9 is a schematic electrical wiring diagram illustrating the electrical connections employed in the air conditioningdevice of Figures 1 to 8. z Referring to the drawings, the improved portable air conditioning device is designated generally at 11 and comprises a main housing 12, which may be of any suit- Mounted in the housing 16 on its inside surface adjacent its rim is a heating coil 32 which may be energized at times, independently of the refrigeration unit 23, as

will be presently explained.

Asshown in Figure 6, the horizontal par-tition'19 is provided with a large aperture 36 located above the evapora tor coil 27 through which air from the air inlet chamber 18 may pass into the sump reservoir 21, said air passing through the evaporator '27 and being cooled thereby. The'outlet chamber'17 is connected to the sump reservoir by a pair of conduits 37, 37, said conduits having the depending apertured intake portions 38 located in the sump chamber 21, whereby air from said chamber will be drawn into the conduits by the suction produced by the fan 29, the air then being blown out of the outlet opening 14of the device. As the air passes through the evaporator unit 27, the air is cooled, and as the air passes over the surface of the liquid 22 in the bottom of the sump reservoir, the air is washed. As will be presently explained, at other times, the air passing through the sump chamber 21 will be humidified as it is moved over the liquid 22 and will be thence delivered to the outlet chamber 17 and expelled therefrom through the opening 14. Z

Mounted on the top wall of the housing 12 is a transparent deodorant housing 40 adapted to contain any able shape and which is Provided With an air intake 2''? opening 13, for example, at a rear upper corner portion of the main housing, as well as with an air discharge opening 14 at its front wall, the opening 14 being provided with a suitable grille or mesh 15 extending thereover.

Designated at 16 is a large, generally circular dished housing facing and located adjacent to the discharge opening 15, the housing 16 defining a partition in the main housing 12 providing an air outlet chamber 17 in the housing element 16 and an air inlet chamber 18 in the rear space of the main housing 12 communicating with the air inlet opening 13.

A horizontal partition 19 is provided in the main housing between the rear wall of the housing element 16 and suitable source of deodorant material. The housing 40 communicates with the air intake chamber 18 through a large conduit 41 containing a blower fan 42 driven by an electric motor 44, said conduit 41 communicating with the intake chamber 18 through a smaller conduit 43, whereby the blower 42 produces suction to draw air from chamber 18 upwardly through the conduit 43 and to force this air into the deodorant chamber 40. Designated at 45 is an outlet conduit which establishes communication between the deodorant chamber 40 and the air outlet chamber 17, the outlet conduit 45 being provided with the converging, funnel-shaped inlet nozzle 46 located in the rear portion of the deodorant housing 40 and located a substantial distance above the bottom of said deodorant housing, as shown in Figure 4. Mounted in chamber 40 is a vertical transparent tube 47' which contains a vertically movable disc 47 which is connected by a rod 48 extending slidably through a suitable aperture provided therefor in the top wall of housing 12 and connected at its lower end to a float arm 49 pivoted at 50 in the sump reservoir 21, the rod 48 extending through a suitable aperture provided therefor in the horizontal partition wall 19. Secured on the end of the float rod 49 is a suitable fioat 50 which is supported in the liquid 22 contained in the sump reservoir 21 and which varies the height of the piston member 47 in the gage tube 47' in accordance with the level of liquid remaining in the sump reservoir 21.

As will be readily apparent, a controlled proportion of deodorant and moisture is furnished to the air passing through the device. When a large quantity of water is present in the sump reservoir 21, the disc 47 is in an elevated position, providing a visible indication thereof. When the level of the liquid 22 drops to a relatively low height, the disc 47 descends. In addition to the deodorant discharged through the conduit 45 into the outlet chamber 17, deodorant from the housing 40 is admitted into the air inlet chamber 18 through a pair of vertical conduits 79, 79 extending through the top wall of housing 12.

The housing 40 is preferably readily removable to provide access to the interior thereof, as for renewing the deodorant, or for changing same. I

The refrigeration unit 23 is provided with suitable valve means, for example, a valve 60 which may be employed for at times shutting off the circulation of the refrigerant therethrough for discontinuing operation of the refrigeration unit as such, when desired. When the device is to be employed as an air heater, the fan 29 is used to provide the required air circulation through the device, and the refrigeration unit 23 is not employed. Under these conditions, any suitable means may be provided for uncoupling the compressor 24 from the motor 25, to allow motor 25 to drive the fan 29 without operating the refrigeration unit.

As shown in Figure 9, separately controlled circuits are provided for the fan motor 25, the auxiliary deodorant blower motor 44, and the heating winding 32. Respective control switches 70, 71 and 72 are provided for the respective circuits containing the motor 25, the heater 32, and the motor 44, as shown in Figure 9, the switches 70, 71 and 72 being mounted on a front panel 73 provided on a base housing element 74 which receives the deodorant housing 40.

Mounted on the rear portion of the base housing 73 is an upstanding bracket 75 on which is mounted a conventional temperature and humidity indicator shown at 76.

Designated at 77 is an auxiliary air inlet fitting which is connected through a conduit 78 and a filter unit 77' to the sump reservoir 21, the conduit 78 extending through the horizontal partition 19 and opening into reservoir 21 through filter 77', the fitting 77 being accessible at the rear of the housing and being adapted to receive the hose of a conventional vacuum cleaner, whereby the suction produced by the fan 29 may be employed to operate a vacuum cleaning attachment, if so desired.

While a specific embodiment of an improved air conditioning device has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A portable air conditioning device comprising a housing, partition means in said housing defining an air inlet chamber and an air outlet chamber, said housing having respective air inlet and air outlet apertures communicating respectively with said air inlet and said air outlet chambers, a blower fan in said air outlet chamber arranged to force air out of said outlet aperture, a sump reservoir in the lower portion of said housing, conduit means connecting said sump reservoir to said air inlet chamber and said air outlet chamber and defining a passage between said inlet and outlet chambers, a transparent deodorant chamber on said housing, an air intake conduit connecting said air inlet chamber to said deodorant chamber, an upstanding transparent conduit connecting said deodorant chamber to said air inlet chamber, adjustable piston means in said upstanding conduit, a float member in said sump reservoir, means connecting said float member to said piston means and being arranged to control said piston means in accordance with the elevation of said float member, and a refrigerator mounted in said housing including an evaporator unit, said evaporator unit being located in said passage between the inlet and outlet chambers to cool the air passing therethrough.

2. A portable air conditioning device comprising a housing, partition means in said housing defining an air inlet chamber and an air outlet chamber, said housing having respective air inlet and air outlet apertures communicating respectively with said air inlet and air outlet chambers, a blower fan in said air outlet chamber arranged to force air out of said outlet aperture, a sump reservoir in the lower portion of said housing, conduit means connecting said sump reservoir to said air inlet chamber and said air outlet chamber and defining a passage between said inlet and outlet chambers, a transparent deodorant chamber on said housing, an air intake conduit connecting said air inlet chamber to said deodorant cham her, an auxiliary air blower fan mounted in said lastnamed air intake conduit, an upstanding transparent conduit connecting said deodorant chamber to said air inlet chamber, adjustable piston means in said last-named conduit, a float member in said sump reservoir, means connecting said float member to said piston means and being arranged to control said piston means in accordance with the elevation of said float member, and a refrigerator mounted in said housing including an evaporator unit, said evaporator unit being located in said passage between the inlet and outlet chambers and being arranged to cool the air passing therethrough.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Geneck Nov. 28, 1950 

